Psychologist

Bright-Professionals; Woerden; On-site; EUR 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Bright-Professionals is seeking a Psychologist to provide culturally sensitive, low-intensity psychological support to Ukrainian refugees across three reception locations in Woerden and Oudewater, Netherlands. You will work closely with municipal teams and coordinate care with the refugee coordinator.

You will identify residents who could benefit, conduct individual sessions, and refer complex cases to specialist services, developing a Plan of Action with clear goals and duration.

Qualifications

• Completed psychology degree at bachelor's level or higher.
• Demonstrable proficiency in Ukrainian.
• Dutch and/or English language skills at a minimum of B1 level.

Responsibilities

• Provide low-intensity, culturally sensitive psychological support to adults at three reception locations.
• Hold individual sessions and offer drop-in consultations and scheduled appointments.
• Refer residents to specialist services when needed.
• Develop an Plan of Action (PoA) with clear goals and duration.
• Engage with residents in communal areas when not scheduling appointments.
• Collaborate with reception centre management and care providers on support planning.
• Identify additional support needs and advise on follow-up care where necessary.

Skills

Empathy

Cultural sensitivity

Proactive

Flexible

Ukrainian language proficiency

Dutch/English (B1)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Psychology

Job description

We are looking for a Psychologist to support Ukrainian refugees staying at reception centres in the municipalities of Woerden and Oudewater, the Netherlands.

In this role, you will work closely with the reception centre management teams, the policy advisor and the refugee coordinator of both municipalities.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Woerden and Oudewater have been providing accommodation for displaced Ukrainians. There are three reception locations housing approximately 230 people, with a further 75 people living in private accommodation. Around 190 of the residents are adults.

Two reception centres in Woerden are located in former office buildings where residents share facilities and live in close proximity to one another. Combined with the trauma of fleeing Ukraine, the ongoing war and uncertainty about the future, these circumstances can significantly affect residents' mental well-being.

The third location is in Oudewater, where residents share ten temporary housing units. Both municipalities organise activities to support residents and improve their quality of life. Online mental health care is also available, and residents with more complex psychological needs are referred to specialist services.

Your responsibilities

As a Psychologist, you will provide low-intensity, culturally sensitive psychological support to adults at all three reception locations. You will be physically present at each location.

Your responsibilities include:

• Identifying young adult and adult residents who could benefit from psychological support, in consultation with the reception centre management and other care providers.
• Holding individual sessions to help residents cope with their circumstances and improve their psychological well-being.
• Referring residents to specialist services when their needs require more complex or specialised care.
• Offering drop-in consultations and scheduled appointments.
• Providing psychoeducation and practical strategies for managing stress and trauma.
• Developing an individual Plan of Action (PoA) with clear goals and agreed expectations regarding the duration of support.
• Identifying additional support needs and advising on appropriate follow-up care where necessary.

When you do not have scheduled appointments, you proactively engage with residents in the communal areas across all three locations.

If the consultations reveal a need for group support, you will develop a Plan of Action in collaboration with the reception centre management.

Your profile

You are empathetic, proactive and flexible, and you enjoy working collaboratively with different professionals. You are able to build trust with people from different cultural backgrounds and provide practical, accessible psychological support.

Essential requirements

• A completed psychology degree at bachelor's level or higher.
• Demonstrable proficiency in Ukrainian.
• Dutch and/or English language skills at a minimum of B1 level.

Preferred qualifications and experience

• Knowledge of Ukrainian culture.
• Experience working with young adults and adults.
• Experience working with children.
• Experience working at a refugee reception centre within the past three years.
• Experience facilitating or supporting groups.
• Knowledge of Russian is an advantage.

About the municipalities

Working for the municipalities of Woerden and Oudewater means contributing to organisations with significant social responsibility and a strong commitment to supporting their communities.

More than 500 professionals work for the two municipal administrations, which together serve approximately 60,000 residents.

You will work in a dynamic political and administrative environment in the heart of the Green Heart region of the Netherlands. The organisations offer an informal working atmosphere, encourage professional development and provide opportunities to contribute to meaningful projects.